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Mar 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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Mar 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Doc Rivers has seen it all in the NBA. Over a thousand wins, winning Coach of the Year in 2004, and a championship win in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, the former Orlando Magic boss has been through it all in the big leagues. The 64-year-old will be inducted into the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Candace Parker and Amar’e Stoudmire later this year.
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His two-year tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks has been rocky to say the least. wheels. The drama’s been thick: player pushback, clashes with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a season that’s gone south fast; it’s not been smooth sailing. But at a recent pre-game presser, Doc got real about what’s next, hinting at family pulling him away from the chaos. When questioned about the latest bunch of retirement rumors doing the rounds, Rivers kept his answer concise.
“I won’t answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see,” Rivers told reporters before tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. “I’ll put it that way. I’ll let you figure it out from there. I have seven grandkids now, and they’re all eight years and under, and it kills me every time I miss grandparents’ day with each one of them in school. It’s probably time to go see them more, so I’ll let you figure out the rest.”
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Apr 3, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Rivers vaunts a 1,193-863 record as a head coach in a coaching tenure spanning 26 years. The former Clippers boss boasts a playoff record of 130-106 (sixth all-time). Doc has also coached the NBA All-Star game on four occasions (2008, 2011, 2021, 2024). But Rivers’ coaching tenure has not been one without criticism.
Despite a stellar regular-season record, Rivers faces sharp backlash for playoff shortcomings and management flaws. Under Doc’s tutelage, his teams have blown 3-1 leads three times and lost Game 7 at home five times. His attitude of sticking to his plan no matter what has been his constant undoing.
While these on-court decisions continue to spark debate, Rivers’ potential step back from the game highlights a bigger pattern among veteran NBA coaches.
Rivers, thinking about stepping away, feels like something we’ve seen before with some of the NBA’s most experienced coaches. After years—sometimes decades—of constant pressure, travel, and expectations, it’s only natural for the focus to start shifting toward family and life outside the game.
Take Gregg Popovich, for example. As the NBA’s all-time wins leader and a five-time champion with the Spurs, he often talked about how much he valued things beyond basketball. Even as he built one of the most successful dynasties in sports, he never lost sight of his personal priorities.
Eventually, in 2025, he stepped away from coaching and moved into a team president role—a transition that let him stay connected to the game without the daily grind of being on the sidelines.
In a similar way, Mike Krzyzewski made it clear that his decision to retire from Duke in 2021 wasn’t just about the demands of coaching. For him, it was really about wanting more time with his wife, daughters, and grandchildren. It was less about burnout and more about choosing a different kind of fulfillment.
When you look at these examples, Rivers’ mindset makes even more sense. At a certain point, the question isn’t just about how much longer you can coach. It’s about what you want the next phase of your life to look like.
Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks – A tale to forget
What began as a marriage of convenience, pairing Rivers’ championship pedigree with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime, soured into Milwaukee’s coaching nightmare faster than anyone imagined. A dismal 97-101 regular-season record, public spats over injury holdouts, locker room revolt, and the now infamous “Google me” rant, have left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth following the end of season burnout.
Doc’s latest comments suggest his time with the Bucks (and, by extension, the NBA as a whole) is nearing an end. And as is often the case in situations like this, the rumor mill is working overtime. Taylor Jenkins, who was most recently the Memphis Grizzlies coach in 2026, is being touted as a potential replacement for Rivers should he leave in the summer.
Stein: “Growing anticipation” that Bucks, Doc Rivers could part ways after this season.
Taylor Jenkins is a “likely prime candidate” if Bucks launch coaching search. pic.twitter.com/2VYOOguVSv
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 5, 2026
Jenkins spent six seasons with the Grizzlies but was released in March 2025, with only nine games remaining in the 2024–25 regular season. During his time in Memphis, Jenkins did a great job honing the skills of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. He had a 250-214 record in six seasons, leading the Grizzlies to the Western Conference Semifinals in 2022.
Jenkins previously assisted in Milwaukee (2018-19) under Mike Budenholzer’s 60-win squad. With Giannis Antetokounmpo also being linked with an exit this summer, this could signal the start of a new era in Milwaukee. After two years of struggles, Jenkins’ youthful approach could be exactly what the Bucks fanbase craves.
When one door closes, another one opens, and maybe a Doc Rivers breakup is good for all parties involved, especially for his seven grandkids, who get to spend quality time with a legend.
Written by
Edited by
Tanay Sahai